Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court, corporations, labor unions and special interest groups will be able to broadcast some of their issue advertisements right before an election. The court, in a narrow 5-4 ruling, reined in the reach of a 2002 campaign finance law that sought to limit the influence of money in politics. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts says the law is unconstitutional as it was applied to ads such as an anti-choice group, which tried to broadcast right before the 2004 election. "The First Amendment requires us to err on the side of …

Johnson & Johnson has taken McCann Erickson off all of its U.S. business save Acuvue, dividing its former duties among other roster agencies, including DDB, JWT and Lowe. Five brands are leaving McCann-- Band-Aid, Reach, Stayfree, Monistat and K-Y -- but new assignments have not yet been finalized. Spending on McCann's lost accounts was about $100 million last year, according to TNS Media Intelligence. But "these moves don't affect other [McCann] Worldgroup agencies," says one company rep, and the agency will "continue to support all these brands during the transition period." Insiders says other J&J brands will …

ESPN Radio morning hosts Mike & Mike, along with former Chicago Bears Coach Mike Ditka, will be calling the September 10 "Monday Night Football" game between the Arizona Cardinals and the San Francisco 49ers. That will kick off the sports net's second year of MNF, with a doubleheader that also features the Baltimore Ravens against the Cincinnati Bengals at 7 p.m. "ESPN's Monday Night Football doubleheader will provide an exclamation point to the opening weekend of the NFL season," says Norby Williamson, executive vice president, remote and studio production, ESPN. He says Mike and Mike have great …

The Federal Communications Commission wants to fine a pair of Tribune TV stations about $23,000, one for violating ad limits in kids programs and the other for not keeping up their public files. KMYQ Seattle faces the larger fine -- $15,000 -- for two overages of 30 and 60 seconds, along with four program-length commercials. The FCC considers any show with an ad featuring a character to be a program-length commercial. The station got in hot water over a Pokemon program with an ad showing a partially obscured Pokemon game card -- and the FCC has proposed fining …

ABC Family will increase the number of commercials in the first pod position in next season, reducing the number of network promos and hopefully boost audience retention. It will also begin using "Tease 'n' Reveal" to try and keep viewers from changing channels or fast-forwarding on their DVRs. And, at the beginning of the last break in original series programming, it will put a sponsored tease that urges viewers to stay tuned to see scenes from the next episode. During movies, viewers will be asked trivia questions and get the answers during the break. "We listened to our …

Networks and series creators frequently push the limits of acceptable programming, and the upcoming season will be no exception. With 25 new premieres on tap, the new pilots underscore how subtly the bar this year is being raised (or lowered) in the effort to surprise and titillate viewers in ways that confound federal regulators, pandering legislators, watchdogs and occasionally the networks themselves. Among the latest kinks are characters cavorting with transvestites and monkeys joining humans in sex. And there is little doubt such fare will get scolds like the Parents Television Council up in arms about the decline …

Paris Hilton will give her first post-jail interview to CNN's Larry King on Wednesday, spurning deals with both ABC and NBC. The imprisoned socialite and sometime porn star has been negotiating for the exclusive rights to the event for most of the last week. But talks went sour after news surfaced of potential cash payouts for material like photographs and videos. The Alphabet Network had put $100,000 on the table, but was told NBC was offering more. People magazine was willing to fork over $300,000 for photos to accompany an interview. But everything was withdrawn after the publicity. …

"Mad Men," a TV series set on Madison Avenue in 1960, has drawn fire from a group claiming a sponsor -- Jack Daniel's -- violates liquor industry ad standards by mixing irresponsible behavior and alcohol. The show, set to premiere on AMC July 19, is the subject of a complaint filed by Commercial Alert with the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. It that alleges that the sponsorship crosses a line that bars liquor ads in shows with "depictions of overt sexual activity," lewd images or language, irresponsible drinking and intoxication. "If what's been reported is correct, Jack …

Wrigley has cut to three the number of agencies in a review of its $200 million global account. The finalists are DDB -- which already has the business in Australia and New Zealand -- and Saatchi & Saatchi and DraftFCB. RFPs are due back from each today. Cut from the finals were BBDO, Leo Burnett and Grey, according to insiders, although EnergyBBDO in Chicago remains Wrigley's lead agency in the U.S. The cuts seem to indicate the end of the Wrigley's s relationship with Grey, which has the business in Asia and India, and Burnett, which handles Wrigley …

Twentieth Television has reached an off-network deal that will bring "My Name is Earl" to TBS. The cable network will get a simultaneous launch with stations in the fall of 2009 and is thought to have bid more than $600,000 per episode. Twentieth declines to comment on price, but will wait until the fall, after Tribune enters the market, to roll out "Earl" to broadcast stations. But Twentieth President Bob Cook says the studio's sister Fox stations have already made an offer "that we would entertain." With two syndicators making off-net sitcom sales to Turner the same day, cable …